F.R. BOARD MAY 'CRACK DOWN'
Drastic Action Planned if
New Offer for Arbitration is Refused
President
Roosevelt's National Longshoremen's Board is ready to take drastic action should
its latest offer of arbitration in the maritime strike be refused. The board
asked that both employers and strikers submit to arbitration.
"If
this proposal is refused," said Assistant Secy. of Labor Edward F. McGrady,
board member, "the board will immediately start to hold public hearings and
conduct elections to determine who is to represent the men, possibly along the
entire Pacific coast.
"Regardless
of what any party may do, we propose to carry on under the mandate given us by
the President of the United States."
Forced
into the background temporarily by the opening of the port, the board awaited
replies from both sides in the maritime strike to its arbitration proposal.
The
latest appeal for arbitration, issued last night by the President's board, came
after a message from Washington had struck a heavy blow to peace hopes.
Supplementing
its appeal, the board issued another statement today pointed out it was the
official agency of the federal government to deal with the strike, that it had
the full confidence of Secy. of Labor Frances Perkins, and that its arbitration
appeal should be recognized and responded to by all parties.
The board
had asked Sec;y. Perkins whether it had the right to compel ship owners to
negotiate strike grievances jointly instead of individually. The Department of
Labor got a ruling from U.S. Atty. Gen. Homer S. Cummings that the board had no
such power.
The board
had hoped to persuade striking seamen and other ship crafts to go back to work,
while it took up their grievances with representatives of all ship lines.
H.W.
Hutton, attorney for the International Seamen's Union, had contended that a
ruling of the Supreme Court make it imperative that the lines deal jointly with
the strikers.
In its
new appeal the board pointed out that it could act as voluntary arbitrator if
both parties requested such action, and asked that both strikers and employers
reply to the appeal before Thursday night.
There
were reports that the employers had indicated their willingness to ask for
arbitration, but officials of the board said they had not yet received
notification from either side.
Harry
Bridges, as head of the San Francisco I.L.A. strike committee, said he did not
believe the longshoremen would accept any plan to have all their grievances
submitted to arbitration, because, under the provisions of the NRA [National
Recovery Act], they might lose their fight for the closed shop, their chief aim.
He said no plans had been made to take a vote on the national board's proposal.
Representatives
of all other striking maritime unions were to meet during the day and draft an
answer to the board.
"The
board moved slowly at first, acting in the role of conciliator," said
Edward F. McGrady, assistant labor secretary and member of the board. "Then
when it found that conciliation was fruitless it stepped into its arbitration
role.
"Strike leaders were asked twice to submit
the June 16 agreement to a new vote by all members of the International
Longshoremen. Both times they rejected the proposal. Now we hope that a vote
will be taken on a request for arbitration and that we will have a favorable
answer by Thursday, so that actual arbitration can be started by Friday
morning."
San
Francisco News
July 3, 1934
F.R. BOARD WINS DELAY IN DECISION
Stevedores Temporarily Are Talked
Out of Refusal to Arbitrate Demands
The
National Longshoremen's board, in conference with longshoremen, temporarily
talked the strikers out of rejecting the arbitration proposal today.
William
J. Lewis, district president of the International Longshoremen's Association,
and John Finnegan, local I.L.A. executive committee member, met with board
members at the State Building. Harry Bridges, chairman of the joint marine
strike committee, was summoned by the board soon after the meeting started.
Mr.
Bridges, at the conclusion of the meeting, immediately left for a conference
with the joint strike committee, saying that he would discuss arbitration with
the seamen later.
Other Unions Ready
Other
maritime unions were reported ready to refuse the board's arbitration suggestion
as board members went ahead with plans to hold public hearings and call
elections, if necessary.
The board
had asked that both employers and strikers answer the appeal by Thursday night,
so that arbitration could start Friday. However, the joint marine strike
committee was understood to have agreed that the question of a closed shop
cannot be arbitrated and that arbitration would therefore be useless.
The
committee also decided that instead of a joint reply to the board's request,
each of the striking unions should draft its own answer.
O.K.
Cushing, member of the board, said he had received communications from some of
the unions, but withheld a statement until he had heard from them all.
Bridges Explains
Mr.
Bridges declared that the men would not go back to work and submit to
arbitration until some solution of the hiring hall problem is reached, so that
men will not be forced to congregate on the Embarcadero awaiting calls for work.
The
Waterfront Employers' Union was reported making a check of its membership in
order to prepare its answer to the board's request for arbitration. The answer
will be prepared at a meeting tomorrow afternoon, it was stated.
The
national board offices were kept open throughout today, awaiting word from
either party and from Washington, it was announced by Mr. Cushing.
McGrady Ready
Edward F.
McGrady, assistant labor secretary, said the board was going ahead on the
supposition that its request would be accepted, but indicated that if it is
rejected the board is ready to invoke its arbitrary powers, though it will
naturally await instructions from Washington.
Mr.
McGrady said the board probably would hold public hearings, subpoenaing all
concerned. Two days would be sufficient for hearings here, he believed, and the
board would then hold hearings at Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland, after which
it would be able to make recommendations to Washington.
If the
need arose he said the board would also call elections in the various unions to
determine whether the men were satisfied with their present spokesmen.
"All
parties to the controversy and the public must realize that the appeal for
arbitration published in the press, to all parties to the controversy to use
peaceful and intelligent means suggested for immediately terminating the strike
is an appeal by the federal government and should be recognized and responded to
accordingly," said a statement from the board.
The joint
strike committee countered this with a statement that "the attempt on the
part of the Industrial Association to move a few trucks and call it 'opening the
port' is nothing but an attempt to scare the strikers into going back to work
pending arbitration."
The statement contended the President's board has
no power to force arbitration.
The Daily News
July 4, 1934
The Strike Situation in Brief
San Francisco Daily News - July 6,
1934
Developments in the waterfront strike situation today:
California National Guardsmen maintained martial
law on the waterfront after yesterday's bloody rioting.
Threats
of a general strike grew more ominous. Many unions were discussing a sympathy
walkout. Delegates were named to attend a meeting called by Harry Bridges,
strike committee chairman. Possibility of a sympathy strike by Atlantic dock
workers increased.
State
Highway Police were ordered to stop strike-connected disorders reported in the
interior. A San Francisco-bound truckload of hay was turned over near Tracy,
drivers refused to move cattle here, shippers were undecided whether to send
tomatoes, 34 trucks with perishables were halted by asserted strikers.
The
waterfront was quiet. Picket dispersed gatherings of their men.
Cargo
movements from the docks were speeded up by Industrial Association trucks and
the state Belt Line Railroad.
Many
rioters arrested during recent fighting awaited trials.
An
Oakland striker was shot when he and four others attacked a San Francisco dock
worker.
Under
the protection of police and guardsmen, land crews resumed local work on the San
Francisco-Oakland bay bridge which they were forced to flee when yesterday's
rioting swept over them.
Rocks
were thrown through the windows of the Pelicano-Rossi Floral Co. in which Mayor
Rossi is a partner.
Chief
Quinn and Col. R.E. Mittelstaedt of the National Guard repeated warnings to the
curious to stay away from the waterfront.
The Daily News
July 6, 1934
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